In the waning days of his presidency, Joe Biden made a historically controversial decision: he hand-signed only one pardon, and it was for his son, Hunter Biden. This act has sparked a heated debate over presidential clemency powers and the ethics of such a pardon. The Justice Department is now conducting a review of the full list of pardons issued by Biden.
During his final weeks as president, Biden issued more than 1,500 pardons and commutations. The White House described this flurry of clemency as the largest single-day action of its kind in U.S. history. Notably, prominent figures such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and individuals associated with the House January 6 Committee were included in these pardons, most of which were signed using an autopen.
The solitary hand-signed pardon was reserved for Hunter Biden, who had been convicted on three felony gun charges following an investigation by Special Counsel David Weiss. Hunter was also facing federal charges for unpaid taxes amounting to over $1.4 million. In a surprising turn, Hunter entered a guilty plea just before his trial. Subsequently, in December 2024, Biden issued a broad pardon for any offenses his son may have committed from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024.
Biden's decision contradicted his previous pledge not to pardon his son. In defense of the pardon, Biden issued a statement claiming he had honored his commitment not to interfere with Justice Department operations. He framed the pardon as a response to politically motivated attacks against his son and, by extension, against himself. "Enough is enough," Biden stated, urging Americans to view the decision through the lens of both a father and a president.
Special Counsel Weiss sharply criticized the pardon and the president's statement. He described the investigation as thorough and impartial, countering Biden's claims of a miscarriage of justice driven by politics. Weiss emphasized that the pardon now prevents any further charges, and it would be inappropriate to speculate on other potential charges.
The controversy extends beyond just the pardon itself. Attorney General Pam Bondi has initiated an investigation into Biden's use of an autopen for official documents, including pardons. This inquiry was ordered by President Donald Trump, who highlighted the significance of a presidential signature in shaping law and policy. Trump accused Biden's aides of using the autopen to conceal what he suggests is Biden's cognitive decline, calling it a major scandal that hid the true source of executive decisions.
Trump's assertions about Biden's mental state go further, claiming that Biden's decline was more severe in private than it appeared publicly. He alleges that aides controlled Biden's interactions and protected him from the media and public throughout his presidency.
As the Justice Department reviews Biden's pardons, the debate over the implications of this hand-signed pardon for Hunter Biden continues. The discourse encompasses not only the ethics of the pardon itself but also the broader implications for presidential authority and transparency.
